Prologue

'All things have a beginning and an end,' that is what I believed in for as long as I could remember.

And yet, after my untimely and unfortunate death, I did not end...

Science had led me to not believe in anything religious, so I had no faith in any afterlife, yet here I was conscious somehow in an infinitely dark expanse.

I wondered if heaven was going to greet me, or perhaps hell? I had spent most of my life in the study of physics and engineering, so I was not a saint but nor a demon, I was a man of science.

'Where do I belong? The Limbo perhaps?' I wondered and that was when a strong feeling overwhelmed my mind.

'Do I feel sleepy?! But that should be impossible! I need a body for that... Either I am still alive in a coma or...' I could not finish my train of thought as sleep took me.

I dreamt of my life, from the day I was born to the day I died. It was vivid and powerful. My emotions moved in a mad storm. As the long dream went on, my emotions slowly weakened and I came to terms with everything.

I felt as if I had moved on, something new awaited me. That was when I felt a force trying to take away my memories...

Was I going to let it? No!

Memories define us, how could I let it take what defined me?

I resisted, I fought, I raged.

Time had no meaning, it felt like an eternity, and yet it was as fleeting as a blank dream. A mere moment stretched endlessly... and it was over.

Something impacted me from my back, it was painful, I tried to talk but could not, I panicked.

I realized I could not breathe and tried to scream, that was when something left my lungs and freed them. Air moved in, and a loud cry moved out.

I could not yet see, but I could hear voices, and based on the clues I quickly realized what was going on...

"Kare no namae wa Ren..." I focused and heard the man who held me say that.

'Did I just get reincarnated?!'

5 years later...

In an orphanage were many young kids, ranging from those too young to walk all the way to teens.

The kids laughed and played together, but there was one among them that sat alone in a corner, a blank look on his face as he looked at the faces carved onto a cliff far away. He had piercing blue eyes and spiky black hair, his face had not matured enough to describe him as handsome, but he looked pleasing to the eye.

That was who I was in this world, and all I knew was my name was Ren, my parents had died soon after I had been born, but that didn't matter to me...

'How could a fictional world like this be real? What does this tell about reality? Do thoughts create reality? Everything I have learned was in vain?' I thought about the same questions that had constantly plagued me since I was born in this world.

Learning the language was not that hard, nor was learning how to write and how to walk again. But I did it slowly to not raise suspicion. I had been relaxed, thinking I was somewhere in japan but that all changed when I saw a teenager shapeshift in front of me with a handsign to amaze the kids.

I realized where I was...

Seeing ninjas do impossible things that defied physics did not bother me as much as the very existence of this world. Everything I had ever known about the universe, its dimensions, and its laws after countless hours of study had been defied and destroyed.

There was so much more to reality than I could even imagine, and there I had been, arrogantly showing off my knowledge and dictating how everything worked to others as a scientist. I knew nothing. Perhaps Socrates had experienced the same feelings when he said that?

And that was a crushing thought. And yet I sighed in relief.

If I had not amused myself with pop culture and fiction to pass time when I was free and bored, I would have recognized this world and that would have been a true tragedy.

'All knowledge is useful, in a way...' I realized and felt enlightened.

I focused back on the three stone faces that overlooked the village. I only vaguely remembered what awaited this world and where I was.

Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves, and there was talk of the 3rd shinobi world war. Based on that I knew where I was and what was going to transpire soon.

I did not look forward to the war, but it had nothing to do with me. It would come and pass, while I was still in the orphanage, so I was safe.

But that did not mean I was safe in this world at all. Since I did not want to experience the pain of death and I was not eager to find out if I would reincarnate again, especially in such extraordinary circumstances, after all, I knew the future and had my past life memories as an advantage, I had to choose.

Either live as a civilian or as a shinobi.

Option one meant I had to leave my life in the hand of others and go after wealth, but in the end, I would die of old age at best. It was a fair choice, with its benefits but there was a problem. My ambition did not allow it.

As a scientist and researcher, the prospect of Chakra and its nature with the countless miracles it created in the world aroused my curiosity to the point I could barely hold myself back from jumping in excitement. I had to research it, learn everything I could, and maybe... maybe escape death.

The mere thought of being an immortal god made me feel giddy. 'It's a nice dream, but foolish...' I mocked myself for my arrogance, such things were too far away to even be considered. I just needed to survive for now and make a stable living.

So the choice was obvious for me, I did not wish to be ordinary when I could be something more than what I was before this life. Despite its dangers and horrors, it was worth it. Defying the laws of physics, manipulating the elements with Jutsus, and becoming a superhuman... Who could say no to that?

I was going to join the academy and become a shinobi. I had made my choice.

I stood and picked up a leaf and tried to control my chakra to stick it to my palm like I had done many times before.

I failed as always, I could not even feel my chakra yet.

My talent was not good at all. This body was not fit to become a shinobi, but I did not care.

Was I going to let that stop me? No! It just made me more motivated to succeed.